


Redemption in Tough Days

by ahzwei



Category: 91 Days (Anime)
Genre: 1940s, Family Bonding, Gen, Reunions, post episode 12
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-08-14 11:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20191894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahzwei/pseuds/ahzwei
Summary: Fio looked very different from the last time he saw her. She was no longer carrying the sad face before departing, she has changed over the years. She has moved on but the pain of being separated from her family is still buried beneath her heart. Angelo remains an empty shell after completing his mission of getting revenge for his family, before realizing it was all for nothing. It was already too late for them to undo their past mistakes.AU where Angelo and Fio meet years later after the events of 1928





	Redemption in Tough Days

Fio looked very different from the last time he saw her. She was no longer carrying the sad face before departing, she has changed over the years. She has moved on but the pain of being separated from her family is still buried beneath her heart. Angelo remains an empty shell after completing his mission of getting revenge for his family, before realizing it was all for nothing. It was already too late for them to undo their past mistakes.

They have their differences and conflicts, 16 years hit a milestone for the best or worse. They are no longer hunted by the Mafia yet the ghosts of the nonexistent small town in Illinois continues to haunt them. As if the past was giving them a little punishment and reminder of what they can't escape.

It was the year 1944.

The country was at war, broadcast and mentions of the enemy was not avoidable. Everyone feared a possible invasion from the Germans and the Japanese but excited to see the nation who suffered an economic downfall rise as she provides jobs for the people staying at home to create weaponry for the men who volunteer to fight in the front.

They were never there to help when his family were at their last minute, how funny people would go hysterical over the country getting attacked rather than a family of three begging for their lives. The bitterness of being abandoned in the streets remained in the middle of the hollowness that was born after the event. Why care if he was being selfish? everyone else was, one day they're scared of the enemy getting closer than a few minutes later they go back to their regular activities, he can even hear his coworkers talking about staying out for a drink, cheating on their girlfriends and wives, then sent off overseas the next day.

Anyone whose ethnic origins belonged to the three countries the United States has declared war on are now viewed as enemy aliens or spies. Hundreds have been arrested on suspicion from the government while others pressured to denounce their country of origin to prove their patriotism for the land of the free. Some could stay home but some people still view them as the 'enemy'. the 'other', or both. _Italians are nothing but trouble! Go back to where you came from!_

They lived simple lives and refuse to reveal their dark past to their new families in hopes of taking them to the grave until their sons by the names of Vito and Antonio - or Tony for short - encounter with insults and fighting, their schools are not far apart. Since day one, Tony ruins Vito's custom as a prank, then Vito and his friends destroying Tony's treehouse and the cycle goes from there.

It soon reached to Fio from complaints from teachers who on two occasions seen the boys fighting during school hours, she figure out the only way to stop this was to meet with the other boy's parents, however the young boy says his father will be late. Fio waited for the clock strike 11:00 PM, her heart skip a beat once she sees who it was. The last Vanetti woman asked if he remembers her. Angelo backed down stating he never met her. Enraged, Fio on her feet yells at him to stop pretending and admits who she was. The boys - who've never seen their parents act this way before, stepped in front to stop them from fighting and shouting. 

And here they are, never in a million years would he meet Fio again - who is standing in front of him, after everything.

"How's life for ya?" Angelo asks, now that they told the kids to go upstairs while the adults have their private conversation. 

Expect unspeakable tension arise from both. The last Vanetti - whom he let go, is now meeting face-to-face with the man who tore her family apart. He doesn't make eye contact for fear of what Fio might do to him, he doesn't blame her for whatever she is feeling now. 

"I could ask you the same thing - we're now in the same boat, expect you came into our lives and..." Fio caught herself not wanting to mention her older brother, not that she hates Nero but is worried about receiving an answer she is not ready to hear, "You befriended Nero...please, tell me where my brother is."

"Don't know, haven't heard from him..."

"Strega told me all about it, you plotted for the destruction of my family."

It looks like she knows. There is no point in trying to pretend, however she needs to know the truth.

Angelo took out a cigarette to light then breathes out the smoke, "Your father, came into my house - the night of my 12th birthday - talking about some deal with the Galassias. My father knew about it and was murdered alongside with my mother and little brother." he took another inhale, "Ganzo was there too, he was the one who sent a letter with their names which pulled me out of the shadows to have a reason to live again."

Her face showing disbelief and disgust, "Uncle Ganzo? he started all of this?"

"He wanted your father dead as much as I did."

"I wasn't there when your family was murdered, yet you still wanted to destroy my family for what my father has done to yours. I am sure you're happy with what you got."

Angelo shakes his head in disagreement, "No, Fio I'm not..."

Fio's harden feelings are put into the side only to be replaced by confusion, she lets Angelo finish his sentence. "I was foolish, it was only a temporary satisfaction and only to feel empty as before the letter was sent. So was Nero, he had the opportunity to kill me to prevent all of it from happening by letting me live. So that way, you wouldn't be separated from your family."

"If I haven't gone away...would you have killed me too?"

"I don't know...but I wasn't lying about Ronaldo wanting to kill your brother..."

Angelo walks towards radio, switching one station to another until a song caught his attention in hopes of lighten the mood. When Angelo turned around, to his surprise, Fio was smiling upon listening to who it was, Al Jolson! she said, there she mentions how Frate used to enjoy listening to and impersonate him much to her and everyone's annoyance but will soon find it as a reminder of the good old days, what she felt then was now replaced by wistful memories.

** x **

Since day one, Fio and Angelo have frequently visited one another and inviting each other's in their homes seeing no point in trying to hide from another other and hope their newly built connection can ease the past. They talked about their lives then, specifically their families more in depth; Fio brings up when her family were still happy and went to mass every Sunday, that one time when Nero and Vanno skipped mass to go to the circus. She also talked how as a child she was rather care-free and enjoyed games too risky for a girl such as playing ball, catch, climbing trees. Angelo talked about his life before his family's murder; how he and Luce used to play hide-and-go-seek, go to picnics with their parents and Corteo. 

With Nero no longer with him - who can understand his pain of being alone and empty - his sister can look after Angelo for him.

The warmth sunlight hitting Fio's front porch, easing as the next door neighbor's radio played music as loud as it can reach miles away.

"How do you deal with it?" asked Fio.

"Going to the movies. It helps me escape my miserable present."

"I see..."

After the deaths of Frate and Ronaldo, Fio left Lawless to Chicago in grief, off her way to live with the other family. They choose the decision of not killing her because of her marriage with Ronaldo and carrying his child. Fio lost the privileges she once had as an in-law, not seeing her family unless given permission. But Fio made the decision of not wanting to visit a household where it's under familial war, or it show them she is still loyal to her family - she already told them about Frate killing Ronaldo, when she was the one who did - but whatever the case was, it was better to not make contacts from miles away. Her family has fallen and refuse to answer calls if they ever contact her. 

Once the Galassias lost power and gotten themselves in trouble with the police, Fio took the opportunity to leave their territory with her child and money, upon returning home and only to find it full of bars and the mansion she once called home had new owners - she asked them what happened to the Vanettis and only to find out they perish during the Playhouse Massacre as what the residents call it. Vincent Vanetti died from his illness while his son was nowhere to be seen and heard, nobody in Lawless knows of his whereabouts. Now with the Mafia no longer have control over the town, things have been going easy and that is where Fio know she is free at last. She felt like a princess who lost her royal status in her own home and lived in destitution in an apartment with nothing. She worried less about herself, not having to bother on starving herself when her stomach begs for food. Her son begged her to take half his soup given for free for the unfortunate and find herself taking his offer.

"Your new husband is in the Navy."

Fio nodded, "Yes. And why aren't you?"

The quick answer is because Angelo doesn't want to.

He doesn't want to fight for a country who failed to prevent that dreadful night back in 1921. He still lies to people, it was easy enough to convince officials he wasn't suitable to join the army; he shamed them, how cruel of them to force a man - with a mentally disturbed wife and an eleven year old son whom he takes care of - off to the front, if he was to be sent away who would look after them? his wife might get sent to a mental institute for failing to raise her child who is on his way to an orphanage. They tested him as unfit due to his poor eyesight and religious duties and allowed him to stay.

Where has Angelo been doing? wandering into the world he already given up, thinking to himself why he was still living? Expecting to be reunited with his family, he was not happy to find himself breathing and cried out of anger at the men who found him and wished they had left him bleed to death.

After surviving the bullet wound, he stayed in Florida just to be near the ocean, he never bothered to find Nero or get captured and killed by the Galassias. It wasn't until he met a young woman who was visiting from Boston fell in love with him. The two visited one another frequently, or at least on her own account seeing the man, she was two years his junior, a sweet gentle soul unaware of the monster in front of her, she never let the silence between them prevent her from spending time with him. Her parents never liked him because of his Italian Catholic background and try to their best to confess her to stay away from him but she refused to listen. In 1933, after Prohibition ended, he told her he will be leaving soon, she asked him if she can come along and from there on, they eloped.

Moving from one motel to another, state by state, hitchhiking, there was no need for pickpocketing now that almost no one he runs into had any money making their way to Illinois a difficult trip. 

She wasn't the same person after she lost their two month old child from tuberculosis, he held her as she was hysterically crying and shaking after the gun went off, to spare it from the horrible pain it was suffering, even if he was horrible at comforting, it was the first time in years Angelo manage to show another person affection. They done it again, expect Angelo's wife refuse to walk, believing it is what caused her firstborn's death. In the last months of travel, carrying her around was not an issue, before they were able to reach their destination in the middle of nowhere, she had to give birth. The first baby was delivered by a midwife, it was horrendous for him who never seen a woman in such condition, he still helped her with whatever minimal resources they had left, after that he stayed away from them.

But this time their newborn son, Vito, lived longer.

It was never in his interest to have children of his own for fear they might repeat his footsteps but did so to make the woman at least happy. He can't die just yet; it is his responsibility to make sure they live a decent life. He wouldn't mind if both died that day, because there is nothing to give him a reason to live.

The persona of Avilio Bruno is no more. 

** x **

They took the train to Lawless, through the window for view, there was a boot camp on the island where the church once stood.

"He was sent here." she said.

Once they got off the train, they asked an officer where the returnees are, pointing to where the former Playhouse once stood, it turned into a hospital and educational center. On their way, Fio lead the way hoping to find him. They search room by room, asking around until but enough to look and to her relief, he came back unharmed. She calls his name and rushes to him as he does the same and embrace each other, happily. The man whom Fio's husband was talking with standstill and prepare to walk away until Angelo comes up to him, gripping on his shoulder and said, "Cerotto."

He looked at him confused then blink a few times before his old memories came back, he was shocked to see the man whom he thought had died 16 years ago is now standing in front of him. Before he can ask him where he was all this time, Angelo cut him off before asking about his bar, Cerotto shook his head, stating he now owns a grocery store and his wife for the meantime is running business. Nero used come there after bringing his car back.

How dumb of him, Angelo thought, that will be quick enough to get killed in the open sight of town. Or maybe he just borrowed the car just to get themselves in Florida for the fine gentleman he was.

"He never mentioned you. I'd thought you two got bumped off."

What happened to Lawless? it does not exist anymore. The US government set the camp up to train new soldiers and the new arrivals are the families of these men. They don't know anything before 1928, it's mafia legacy of feud between three families who wanted to control the town resulting of many lives destroyed and are crawling the land where hundreds of mafioso and civilians lost their lives in the years of Prohibition. Only for its horrific event to replace another happening overseas yet the young men who came back share the same faces of those who served in the mafia. Who knows how they will feel if they found out about it's dark past.

"So now you're fighting out there?"

"If Corteo was alive he would've done the same."

If Nero was here, how will he react to what become of Lawless?

Angelo on the other hand does not care, because in the end no one will ever know about the boot camp once the war is over.

** x **

Fio's husband will be staying for a couple of days before heading back to the Pacific. His stories grasp attention in the room; a shocked Fio covering mouth to hand, an excited Vito leaning close to listen, an enraged Tony wanting the man to leave, and Angelo. His blue-colored uniform took impression from the neighbors who welcomed him as a hero.

He came back with three glasses of liquor, it was not as great as Lawless Heaven. It was a funny thing to see, he looked more positive being around alcohol than to be surrounded by the ocean, Angelo doesn't blame him. 

He met Fio sometime in the winter of 1934, his family had to escape high rent after his father lost his business and were given the apartment complex where she lived. The conditions were not the best but still stable-built than where he used to live, construction was taking place to make the place clean. At that time, Fio was looking for work for the past year or so and had no interest in getting remarried. But that didn't stop him from giving whatever money he made to support her with either food or taxes. He felt sorry for her and said the economy will get bad by the day. Fio had finally come to the realization of needing this man's help who is sincere in his actions. He was nothing like Ronaldo, nor he was taking advantage of her situation, instead he wanted to help her. He took her and Tony out on walks, explore a big city for her to see of a world she was kept away from - it opened her eyes there was more to life than just tragedy and after that, they fell in love. His family accepted her with open arms after moving in with them, they found a house to live together and Fio had came to accept and love her new home. His parents died two weeks after their son's marriage, a portrait was placed on the living room wall.

Tony remembered very fondly of his grandparents not knowing his stepfather feels the same and hopes their relationship can get better. It is believed it has something to do with growing up in a big city like Chicago where different ethnicities living side by side but remain prejudice towards one another. He looks nothing like his late father and never asked his mother about his roots other than knowing he is not of Irish descent. His mother always taught him about treating others how one wants to be treated, "How is that different than how people treat us?"

Fio wanted the best for her boy and wishes her husband to come home safely. She has not yet told her son that he was brought to this earth by the demands of her father who wanted to create peace between two criminal kingdoms and that his father was a very terrible man. Fio also wanted to say how lucky he was to live a more productive life not one of crime to kill innocent people or get killed by his own family. He was lucky to go to school and be part of a normal lifestyle whom she and her brothers never had. Very lucky to help his mother go through the day by working before classes started.

After everything that has happened and moving forward. Fio felt free at last.

On his last day, Fio made onion soup and spaghetti early afternoon, she invented the Lagusa family and gotten along with Angelo's wife who tried to put on her best smile which won't be convincing enough. Angelo on the hand, knew that her husband has taken a liking to him, he wanted to know him personally, but it was best if he doesn't. They prayed to thank God for blessing them food to eat and bless their hearts on whatever they go. The table was mainly peaceful as everyone respect each other's request on more food or napkins to clean.

Now at the doorsteps, Fio puts her arms around him and wishing the best and to take care out there. 

Angelo was happy for her to find a man she loves, and instead of dwelling on her past she scarified so much to build a future for herself and new family.

Before he left for duty, he looked back at the other man and says, "Take care of Fio while I'm gone." 

"I will..."

** x **

"Nero and I used to eat dinner like this."

A week later, Angelo invented Fio and Tony to eat at a local diner at 7 PM. The place was There was a couple of people and G.I.s on break inside, most eating on their own or with a partner or two with music filling the peace, Both of their sons begin to stabilize their relationship now that their parents are spending time together, seeing no point in fighting. Tony and his friends started inventing Vito's to their after-school baseball events and so forth, which Fio was glad to see.

Then Vito asked him if he speaks Italian. No, Angelo replied. It was not unusual for Vito to come home upset and ask his parents - who seldom talk to each other at home - why his classmates treat him differently. Ever since the war broke out, they taunted him, confronting questions on why their fathers are the ones conscripted for the Army while his father isn't, accusing not only him but his parental guardian unpatriotic and disloyal and sneaky wops. His remaining friends tried very hard to make his life easy by the day, but the more he listened to the accusations the more he believed in them. 

Angelo turns to look at his son, still having that stoic expression, he cannot relate to what he is going through, "And that bothers you?" 

To his dismay, he replied, "That doesn't bother you? 

Speaking of the war, Vito and Tony hopes it lasts for long, they wanted to join the Armed Forces one day. Like most children, they collected strap metal to help the war effort as a duty and stand to pledge allegiance to the flag. At the movies, they watch films of how the Germans destroy anything on sight and look at illustrations of wounded American soldiers who returned from the battle - fighting between life and death, bandages over their bloody heads and arms from possibly bullet wounds and explosives, while others will never have another arm or leg to walk again, a couple had to be carried, swearing themselves to avenge them.

"You sound just like me when I was young. Vengeance won't make you satisfied. Tony, say to them you're eighteen and they'll take you."

"Who'd ya taken revenge on?" asked Tony

"Someone I knew." Fio answered.

"Huh? what did he do?"

"If ya can do it, why can't we?"

Angelo, for some reason, somewhat jealous yet sorry for the boys who never experience the horrors he has seen. Much like Corteo and the two people he met during his trip to Chicago, they live in a different world, little do they know a battlefront will do enough to destroy their innocence from what he read in the newspapers. They've never seen loved ones killed before their eyes, never have to fend themselves, never to feel so angry at the world for turning its back on them. They are no shells of numbness but lively youth who have a future ahead of them in prosperity, and enjoy luxuries of going to school, engage in sports, and dance in music their parents lacked in their days. They don't know the lies the posters and movies depicting brave happy soldiers fighting in the war are selling or that Johnny Mercer song starting to play in the background and their response is fighting for the good of the country, where have he heard that phrase before? no matter the circumstances and beliefs, they all have to follow commands from high-ranking men and put their loyalty for the family and country first, there is no difference between the mafia and military, and Angelo has seen what a war is like. 

"Mobster or soldier, they all have one job - to kill."

** x**

Angelo came back and forth to visit Corteo's grave. It has become a habit for him to pay respects for the man.

He stood in front of the grave, holding flowers and alcohol bottles to give, hoping to reach him in death. His knees on the ground, talking to the grave of what just happened after his revenge, he talked about Nero who is nowhere to be found, he is now married and fathered a child despite not caring about them, and turned his life around as a plumber and mechanic. 

All these things he has now - Corteo was never given the chance to have them if he hasn’t killed him. He feels guilty of having stolen the future Corteo deserved.

How can a man like himself who cause so much bloodshed find peace and fit in a civilized world? crime was a norm back in his time and upbringing yet still manage to adapt the ethics to live with normal people. It was hard at first, the days of hardship during the Great Depression did enough for him to rethink his ways and start anew in life, one will question how is that even possible?

Cerotto was skeptical about Angelo's words but the more he visited the place the more he believed him.

He turned around to look at the grave one last time before heading back home.

_ I'll see you soon... _

**Author's Note:**

> I already developed this 'what if' au and don't know how long it took me to finish after brainstorming ideas. I wanted it to be a long one-shot fic but that would mean more time editing everything I have written so beware of a second chapter coming up soon. Please forgive me for any spelling and grammar errors.
> 
> But I am proud of myself for writing more than 1K words


End file.
